The Tragedy of Time
by DongLongQua
Summary: Even before the end of the Second Alliance-PLANT War, the relationship of Athrun Zala and Cagalli Yula Athha was rocky, but what about after the war? Will they mend their relationship or will it fall apart?
1. Chapter 0: Far away from home

A/N: This is my first time writing a drama/romance story. I'm sorry if the story feels short or rushed [because I'm a guy who likes getting straight to the point]. This story is a tragedy and I channeled my inner Shakespeare to write this.

* * *

 **Chapter 0: Far away from home**

* * *

" _Athrun, there will never be a time where I will choose you over Orb._ "

C.E. 75. One year has passed since the ceasefire between ZAFT and Orb, but LOGOS remnants have continued hostile activities. ZAFT and Orb forces have fought day and night for the past year to hunt down and stop the LOGOS remnants.

December, C.E. 75, the last hideout of LOGOS was found [in Oslo] and captured. The war is finally over.

* * *

Kira returned to the Minerva with Mu since the latter was injured during the fight. Athrun went to the nearby city to inspect the damage and casualties.

A huge part of downtown Oslo was destroyed. LOGOS didn't care anyone else they hit as long as they hit their target. Athrun saw buildings destroyed and people screaming in pain. The Orb medical teams were on site but they were undermanned.

" _Wait! Please! Don't kill me_!"

Athrun heard the scream. He looked around and saw a young man in a LOGOS uniform. His leg was messed up. He was pushing the doctor aiding him, thinking that she was going to kill him.

" _Hey_!" Athrun rushed over and held the young man's hand. " _Calm down_."

" _Please sir. Please don't kill me. They- they forced me to work for them, please_." The young man was still in a panic.

" _Young man! Listen we're not going to kill you. We're trying to help you. Your leg is messed up. We need to fix that_." Athrun's words and actions soon calmed the young man down.

" _Thank you. I can finally set his leg properly_." The doctor was busy but thankful for Athrun calming the young man down.

She sets the boys leg with a cast, but the young man passed out from shock. She calls for a medical team with a stretcher to take the young man away.

After an hour of helping the injured, the situation has calmed down and Athrun finally gets a good look at the doctor. 5 foot 2, slender build; even though her uniform was hiding it, he could see that she was well endowed. She had platinum blonde hair, green eyes, light skin, and blood covered beautiful hands. She was no older than him yet it felt like she was more experienced than him.

" _You look like you've done this a thousand times_." Athrun said while the doctor was collecting her things.

" _It's because I have_." Not even looking at him, the doctor continued to clean and collect her things.

" _What's your nam_ e?" Athrun asked.

" _Alicia_."

" _Alicia. That's a nice name. I'm_ -"

" _Athrun Zala_?" Alicia cuts him off.

A surprised look was on Athrun's face.

" _Yeah, you're pretty popular among women... and men of our age, Mr. Zala_."

" _That's- that's something, I guess. But please, call me Athrun_."

" _Do you still have some business with me, Mr. Zala_?" Alicia annoyingly asks.

" _Sorry. I just wanted to know why you helped an enemy, when there are more people here that could use your help_."

" _Mr. Zala you don't even believe a part of what you just said_." Alicia says while heading towards an ambulance.

" _Which part_?" Athrun seriously asks.

" _The enemy part. You know that boy wasn't an enemy, because you helped him too_."

" _Maybe I was just being an idiot_." Athrun says with a sarcastic tone.

" _I wouldn't know about that, but you are a good guy, and I hope you never change that,_ _Mr. Zala_." Alicia tells him while getting on the ambulance.

Before she can close the door Athrun had one last thing to say. " _The boy was lucky you were there_."

Alicia smiles and said " _The boy was unlucky that you were_." She closes the door.

Athrun had a sort of conflicted look on his face. " _Where are you from_?" he asks.

" _The Nara Islands_."

" _Nara_?" Athrun was surprised. " _You're far away from home_."

" _So are you, Athrun_." She signals the driver. The ambulance drives away.

* * *

A/N#2: The Nara Islands is a fictional place. It is [fictionally] located somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The next part will focus on Athrun and Cagalli's "relationship".


	2. Chapter 1: Engaged

**Chapter 1: Engaged**

* * *

A few days later, Orb was hosting a victory party. People of prominent statuses were invited and of course, the pilots who have fought day and night were also invited.

It was Christmas Eve. A lot of people were there, having a good time.

Kira and Mu were playing billiards; Kira was winning.

Murrue was a bartender for the night.

Meyrin and Lunamaria were having a drinking game; Meyrin lost.

Lacus and Cagalli were talking while enjoying their margaritas.

After his game, Kira went to talk with Athrun.

" _Have you talked to her yet_?" Kira asked Athrun.

" _No. Not sure what to talk about_."

" _You don't have to talk about anything important. Just talk_." Kira suggested.

Athrun looks at [Cagalli] from the balcony. She was beautiful. Her well-groomed blonde hair, her gorgeous amber eyes, her beautiful teal dress. She was perfect.

" _To be honest I'm a little scared_." Athrun tried to play it as a joke but didn't quite work.

" _Really? I never thought that I'd hear you say that_." Kira jokingly said. " _Come on. What's the worst that can happen_?"

* _Sigh_. " _Ok, I'll go talk to her. But if I die of embarrassment tonight, please make it a closed casket_." Athrun said as he walked down the stairs and went in front of the bar. Over the other side, he sees Cagalli and Lacus.

Lacus sees him and figures out what's going on.

"I'll be going now, Cagalli. We'll talk again later." Lacus said while getting up from her seat. She looked at Athrun and nodded at him.

"Ah. Ok then." Cagalli was a bit confused as to why Lacus suddenly left. Cagalli continued to drink.

Athrun gulped hard and channeled his courage to his legs; he approached Cagalli from the side.

" _So how'd a nice girl like you end up in a dump like this_?"

Cagalli smiles and plays along. " _I don't know but people have told me in the past that I have poor taste in men_."

" _Ouch. Well at least you're not stuck in a cave with one_." Athrun sarcastically said.

" _We should try it sometime_." Cagalli gleefully responded.

The two laugh together and decided to drop the act. Athrun broke the short silence first.

" _Hi_." Athrun said as he smiled with all his heart.

" _Hi_." Cagalli replied too, with a smile.

The party goes on around them but somehow the two former lovers were in their own little world.

They move away from the crowd so that they can hear each other better (and get a bit of privacy). The place they chose was on the balcony on other side of the building. There were some tables but practically no one was there. They look over the gorgeous view. This time Cagalli broke the silence.

" _So, I heard that you and Meyrin were dating_." Athrun can see a glimpse of sadness in Cagalli's eyes as she asked the question.

" _Ah. Yeah. Well we only went on a couple of dates but we, for the lack of a better term, didn't really click_." Athrun was a little embarrassed in answering the question.

" _I'm sorry to hear that_."

" _It's ok, you don't have to. It's not a big deal, really_." Athrun assured her. But he still had something else in mind.

" _How about you? You uh- you seeing anyone lately_?" Athrun asked as if he was preparing for a knife in the heart.

" _Athrun, I'm- actually, I'm engaged_." Cagalli replied like she took a huge burden off of her shoulders. But Athrun just stared at her. A thousand yard stare of sadness. He's in shock. It's a miracle that he hasn't dropped the glass he's holding.

" _Athrun, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you earlier. It's just we've been so busy and_ -"

" _It's ok_." Athrun was using all his emotional might to suppress all his mixed feelings about the bombshell announcement that was just dropped on him.

" _Hey! I'm happy to hear that. How long have you guys been... engaged_?" Again Athrun tries to hide his honest emotions but Cagalli can obviously feel that Athrun was disappointed at least.

" _3 months. We've been engaged for 3 months_."

Athurn felt a sting in his heart ' _She's been engaged for 3 months and she didn't bother to tell me_?' he thought. But he kept calm and said:

" _Well don't keep me in the dark, tell me all about him_."

" _Only if you promise not to beat him up_." Cagalli said jokingly.

" _Hahahahaha. I promise not to beat up your fiancé_." Athrun said while holding his right hand over his chest.

" _Well, his name is Richard MacMillan and we met at a bar about a year ago, and we talked and that's pretty much where it started_."

" _MacMillan? Like the son of Orb Prime Minister Anton MacMillan_?" Athrun asked with a surprised panic tone.

" _Yeah. Don't worry this isn't like the Seirans. I know what I'm doing_." Cagalli reassured him.

" _I'm not worried. I trust you_." After Athrun said that, there was another silence. They were staring at their drinks while not knowing what to say. But after it got a little awkward, Athrun asked an unexpected question.

" _Do you love him_?" Athrun asked seriously.

" _Athrun, if I didn't love him then why would I agree to marry him_?" Cagalli defended.

" _You didn't answer the question_." Athrun faced Cagalli.

Cagalli also faced Athrun with confidence and resolve.

" _Ok Athrun, if it will satisfy you, then yes, I do love_ -" before Cagalli can finish her answer, Athrun grabs her by the waist and kissed her. Cagalli kissed her back. Their lips interlocked, like before. Full of love, passion, and lust. After a few seconds they both pulled away.

Cagalli turned around and held her chest. She held back her tears. " _Athrun, I'm sorry. We can't do this anymore_."

Athrun held his tears back and asked: " _I have no doubt that marrying him would be a huge step forward for Orb. He may even be a better husband to you than I ever will be politically or romantically. But I ask you this: Do you really love him? With all your heart_?"

Cagalli breathed deeply. She held back her tears as much as she can; she turned around and flatly said: " _Yes. I do love him. With all my heart_."

" _I see_." Athrun said in sadness. He held back his tears. He clenched his fists.

The two stood in silence for a few seconds.

" _Miss Cagalli!_ " someone shouted. " _It's time for your speech_."

" _Alright. Just give me second_." She answered.

" _Good night Athrun_." Cagalli started walking away from him. Athrun just stood there. Still trying not to cry, trying not to show how affected he was.

Cagalli turned around one last time and said: " _I need you to understand_. _Athrun, there will never be a time where I will choose you over Orb_." And with that said, Cagalli left.

Athrun finally let out his tears. He fell on his knees and punched the ground. He was thinking of all the times they were together. How could he let that go? How could he have been so stupid?

An hour passed by. Athrun was still on the other balcony, sitting, drinking, and thinking. Kira and Lacus went there to check on him but only Kira approached him. He sat beside him and waited. After a few seconds, Athrun finally asked it.

" _How long have you known_?" Athrun asked softly.

" _Athrun, I-_ " Kira tried to say something but Athrun asserted his question.

" _How long_?" his tone now changed from soft to angry.

" _2 months_." Kira said with shame.

" _And you didn't bother to tell me? You didn't think I needed to know_?" Athrun angrily asked.

" _I thought Cagalli told you too. Or at least she would tell you when she was ready_. _I was surprised myself when I found out that she hasn't told you yet. I'm sorry._ " Kira defended.

Athrun held his hands together, like he was praying. He bent down, and started crying.

" _Goddamn it. I know it's not your fault Kira. I get it. But, it's so hard not to be disappointed. At her, at myself_."

Kira put his hand on his friend's shoulder. " _Athrun, I know it's hard, but you have to be strong, and accept Cagalli's decision. If you really love her, then you love her regardless of who she ends up with, right_?"

Lacus also sat beside Athrun and placed a hand on his other shoulder.

" _It's Ok Athrun, we'll be here for you. We'll stay as long as you want_." Lacus' words made Athrun cry a bit more, but at least now, he shares his pain with people who care about people who care about him.

* * *

A/N: And now it starts. Next chapter we'll learn a little more about Cagalli's fiance.

fiancé fiancé fiancé 


	3. Chapter 2: The First Day We Met

A/N: I don't think I mentioned it before but, this story is more like a side project of mine, so sorry if it takes some time to update.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: The First Day We Met.**

* * *

C.E. 76. 2 months after the victory party, the South African Union invaded the Orb controlled Nara Islands in the Indian Ocean, a few days after Orb decided to decrease its defenses there. Orb has declared this an act of war and decide to send the 2nd fleet to reclaim the islands.

A day before they deploy, Athrun decided to meet with Richard MacMillan. They met on the flight deck of Orb's newest Mobile Suit carrier, the Uzumi. When Richard arrived, Athrun was already sitting at the edge of the flight deck, looking at the setting sun.

" _You know when people want to meet politicians they usually opt for a hotel or a school_." Richard jokingly states as he approached the man sitting on the edge. Athrun stood up and shook Richard's hand.

" _Prime Minister MacMillan_." Athrun shook his hand.

" _Admiral Zala_." He too shook his hand.

" _Alright enough with the formalities_." Richard cheerfully said. " _Call me Richard. Can I call you Athrun_?"

" _Of course. I'd prefer it if you do_." Athrun grabs something from the cooler beside him. " _Want a beer_?" He hands Richard a chilled bottle of beer.

" _Sure. Why not_?" Richard takes the beer and Athrun pops the cap off both bottles.

The two sat near the edge and drank their beers while waiting for the sunset.

" _Let's cut through the bullshit Athrun, I know you want to talk about Cagalli. You two had... history, and I guess I want to talk about that too_."

" _I just- I just want to know that I'm leaving her in good hands. God, that sounds bad. What I wanted to say is that um-_." Athrun said sadly.

Richard thinks deeply for a second then he asked: " _Did Cagalli ever tell you how we first met_?"

" _Not to me_."

" _Well that makes sense, it's nothing exciting really_." Richard takes another gulp of beer before continuing.

" _About a year ago, I just passed my BAR exam. I was excited to be a lawyer. My father wanted me to succeed him as Prime Minister. But I didn't want to be involved in politics and all that shit. I always thought that entering politics would mean that I'd have to do bad choices to get things done. So I pursued other fields. And I really found law interesting. Anyway, my buddies and I said that we were going to celebrate our achievement in a bar and drink till we pass out._

 _When I got in the bar, I waited. I thought I was early, but minutes turned to hours and one drink turned to five. After 3 hours, I thought that my buddies pranked me. Then I saw her. Sitting in the bar, alone. She looked sad_."

Athrun felt a sting in the heart. He felt like he was the cause of that sadness.

" _So since I was having a relatively good day, I decided to talk to the one girl in the bar who looked sad. We talked for a few hours but soon enough, she was drunk. She tried to hide the fact, but it didn't really work._

 _And her bodyguards decided to call it a night. That's when I realized, I was talking to the Chief Representative of Orb. But before she left she asked for my number so I gave it, and she gave hers too. I didn't plan on calling her but it was the biggest surprise of my life when she called me instead. She wanted to apologize for the previous night and told me not to tell anyone that she was drunk_."

Athrun chuckled. " _Yeah. I remember that one time she was drunk. She tried whiskey for the first time. She was adorably cute_." Athrun was smiling while reminiscing about the past.

Richard also chuckled. " _Yeah. I know what you mean. She is a different person when she's drunk._ "

The two each opened another bottle of beer.

Richard continued his story. " _The next time we met was inside the Parliament building. I visited my father to tell him that I passed the BAR exam but as expected from him, he didn't care. Then as I was leaving I saw her, and she saw me. It was an awkward moment to be sure but I don't know what I ate that morning because the only thing I remember vividly at that moment was that II actually asked her out. And you won't believe the look on my face when she said yes._

 _So we went on a date, and then another, then another. Over the weeks, and over the months, I slowly fell in love with her. And on one random day, I proposed to her. And she said yes. It was the happiest day of my life. But my father saw it as an opportunity to get back at me. He said that I'm not allowed to marry the Chief Representative if I'm not the successor to the Prime Minister_ -."

Athrun knew what the next part was. He knew the feeling; sacrificing everything you have and want for someone else.

" _So I had no choice. I wanted to marry Cagalli. I said to myself: if I had to be the Prime Minister of Orb just to be with her, then I will. I did, and now I am_." Richard had finished his second bottle.

Athrun was speechless, he didn't know what to say. But what Richard said next confused him.

" _Don't die, Athrun. Cagalli will be sad if you did_." He said in a serious tone.

" _She said that_?" Athrun asked.

" _Nope_." Richard stands up. " _She has this picture by her bedside. It's a picture of her, her brother, Chairwoman Clyne, and you. Every night. She looks at that picture every single night before going to bed. One night I asked her why she always looked at that photo. She said that it reminds her of the good old days. What she didn't say, and she didn't need to, was that the good old days she was referring to were the ones with you_."

Athrun was shocked to hear what he was hearing. But he knew it was too late. ' _Maybe that's where our relationship is, in the good old days_.' he thought.

" _She still cares about you Athrun, whether she admits it or not. So please, come back alive_."

Athrun slowly nods. He gets up and shakes hands with Richard. " _Thank you, Richard. I promise I'll come back in one piece_."

" _Good. Then that means you can attend out wedding. We'll wait till this conflict is over. I hope you can come_." Richard tells him with a smile.

Athrun was surprised but also smiles. " _I'll do my best_." Athrun assures him.

* * *

Cagalli arrives on the flight deck and sees the two men talking. She walks towards them. They see her and Richard decides to go.

" _Well then Athrun, I'll be going now. See you soon_." He said while shaking his hand.

" _Ah. OK_." Athrun looked a little uneasy.

Richard and Cagalli walked past each other not saying anything to each other. Their eyes met and Richard smiled, but the smile hid his pain. Cagalli was surprised.

' _Does he know_?' she thought.

But Richard kept walking until he was off the ship. Athrun was still standing on the edge of the flight deck, looking at the sunset, deep in thought. Cagalli slowly walked towards Athrun.

" _Athrun-_." Cagalli tried to say something but before she can, Athrun hugged her tight.

" _Athrun_." Cagalli's loving voice filled them both with sadness. But for Athrun, there was no more need for conversations, or arguments. He held Cagalli on both shoulders and said

" _Don't worry, he'll be a good husband. I'm sure of it_." Athrun didn't wait for a response. He walked away behind her, going back to the bridge of the ship. There were no tears. Athrun was sad, but at least he said what he needed to say. He wanted to move on, and a war is a perfect excuse to take his mind off Cagalli.

Cagalli was stunned. She stood still for about a minute. And then she turned around, she looked at Athrun's back and screamed:

" _WHAT_?!"

* * *

A/N #2: Well I tried to make Richard a nice guy, I mean, in my mind he is a nice guy who genuinely fell in love with Cagalli.

A/N #3: The next chapter is either the longest or I might split it into two.


End file.
